Changes to rent, hooning, drug laws

The Queensland Parliament was busy last week as legislation and laws were passed covering the rights of renters, cracking down on hooning and reducing punishment for drug possession.

RENT

The permissible frequency of rent rises has been increased from every six months to once a year for residential tenancies and rooming accommodation agreements. These amendments will bring Queensland into line with other Australian jurisdictions and balance the rights and interests of Queenslanders who rent, and property owners and investors to maintain rental supply.

Hooning

In Queensland, it will now be an offence to participate in or be a spectator at a group hooning activity.

It will be an offence to organise, promote or encourage others to participate or be a spectator at a group hooning activity, including the filming or photographing of hooning for the above purposes.

It will be an offence to possess certain items used to facilitate group hooning events, for example, false number plates.

Queensland Police Commissioner Katarina Carroll said Queensland Police employs a range of covert and overt strategies, including the use of unmarked motorbikes, to patrol known hotspots and take enforcement action.

“Our message to anyone taking part in high-risk activities on our roads is that we will continue to target you, investigate your dangerous antics and take action against you,” she said.

Drug Possession

Queensland’s Police Drug Diversion program will be expanded to include the minor possession of all types of drugs by implementing a new tiered approach:

First minor drug-possession offence - a police officer issues a warning, accompanied by a drug warning notice and a police referral to a support service.

Second and third minor drug-possession offence - a police officer offers the opportunity for the person to participate in a mandatory Drug Diversion Assessment Program.

Fourth minor drug-possession offence - a police officer issues the offender with a notice to appear in court. Currently Police have the power to divert people found with small quantities of cannabis to a drug diversion assessment program.

This new legislation will extend that power to other drugs and provide a tiered health response.

In Queensland each year, police will come across approximately 20,000 people in possession of a small quantity of drugs for their own personal use.

Expanding the police drug diversion program aims to free up police time to focus on serious drug offending such as drug supply, trafficking and manufacturing.

A polite ‘No’ to a divisive Voice.